I’ve done the math and calculated
that raising girls is eleven times more challenging than raising boys. Is
that about right? Every
day, every hour, fathers of daughters set the standard of what these beautiful
flowers are going to expect from men in their grown up lives.
I’m a little reluctant to ask
Chris Rock to drive this point home for me, but a short clip from one of his comedy routine sums up
the issue perfectly. Here's the link. (Be aware, Rock uses coarse subject matter and language I do not condone. Please watch judiciously.)
Chris Rock makes a dramatic point that every dad needs to understand:
“My relationship with my daughter is going to affecther relationship with men for the rest of her life.”
As the father of boys, I’ve had
the privilege of hosting innumerable young ladies in my home. My heart
always breaks for the girls who have “daddy issues” – the ones’ whose father is
not doing the heavy lifting of being a good dad. Please read my previous
post on this related topic.
Dads of daughters, I salute you and I applaud you. I tremble at the
thought of what you face every day.
As we move toward Father’s Day, I
want to ask my readers, fathers of daughters and/or sons, to consider again
your influence upon your children’s friends. Many of them come into your
home and feel a safety and peace they quietly, desperately hunger
for.
Be the dad to each and every one
of these kids. Get to know them. Ask about their lives, their
school, their family. Show an interest in them just like you show
interest in your own children. Yup, your own kids will cringe occasionally,
but over time, they’ll understand what you’re doing.
Why do this? Because if
ever a child enters your home and that child needs a father to look up to - be
that dad. Don't miss an opportunity to show a child that there are great
dads out there who care, who love, who lead with grace. Give them
something to hope for even if they don't see it at home.
And one more thing. Dads
tend to have friends who are dads. Would you consider encouraging
them? Every dad personally feels the weight of being the leader of the family.
Every dad I know constantly takes inventory of how he’s doing and whether the
kids “are going to turn out alright”. Take the lead and encourage other
dads.
I hope by now that you know that
I admire the work that National Center for Fathering. I’ve
contributed articles to them for a couple decades. It’s Good To Be The Dad is an “official blog” of NCF and gets
a lot of exposure thanks to them. I believe whole-heartedly in what they
do.
- Please, visit the Fathers.com website and find out more about their great resources.
- Please, LIKE their Facebook page.
- Please, sign up for their weekly email where once a week, Carey Casey, NCF’s dynamic CEO writes a blog that will inspire, equip, and maybe even entertain you. Don’t miss it.
Now finally, if perchance I
ruffled your feathers with Chris Rock, let me soothe them with this superb
video from the good folks at Volkswagen.
Go Dad, GO! It’s good to be the dad.
Clark H Smith
